Version 1.5 is one of our biggest updates so far, with a heavy focus on text rendering and extensibility. What do these two things have in common? You’ll see in the video below. in5 also now has greater support for Overlays.
You can now do more with a trial copy of in5 (details below). Interested? Try it out.
If you want more details on this update, read on.
Extensibility
A new Resources section makes in5 extensible by allowing the addition of custom CSS, JavaScript, HTML, and other assets.
You don’t have to know CSS or JavaScript to take advantage of this feature, which can also be used to add Google Analytics tracking or to dynamically embed fonts from TypeKit or Google Fonts, as shown in this video:
When you attach resources, in5 also adds metadata attributes (data-bookmarks, data-section, data-section-marker) to help you control appearance and functionality. The following video shows how the resources can be used to create a custom menu and alter the appearance of the output:
We’ve also added things like “newPage” events to the JavaScript to help your custom code respond to your in5 output.
To download the view the output from the videos above, download the source files, or see more videos, check out the in5 demos page.
SVG
There’s a new text rendering option for in5. SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) preserves appearance and scalability, which is great for HD (retina) displays. SVG has been around for a long time and is compatible with most browsers.
Overlays*
We’re excited to support even more of the popular DPS Overlays–adding more interactive possibilities to your HTML5 output. in5 now supports all Overlays available in InDesign CS6, except the Panorama. In version 1.5, we’ve added support for the following Overlays:
- Web Content Overlay (URLs and local HTML files). Automatically grabs the dependent files when an Edge Animate HTML file is detected!
- Image Sequence Overlay. Great for controlled animations!
- Pan and Zoom Overlay. Highly requested!
*The support for Overlays was created to work starting with CS6. The overlays generated by the Overlay Creator panel from CS5.5 may not be supported, since they relied on different code. However, if there’s an Overlay you’d really like to see supported with InDesign CS5.5, let us know.
Custom Page Ranges
When both David Blatner and Keith Gilbert tell you that your product would be better if…it behooves you to listen. So we did! Now you can choose which pages (or Alternate Layouts) you’d like to export with in5.
The export range allows you to choose All Pages, a single alternate layout (if any are present), or a Custom range. When Custom is selected, a text input appears. This field is quite smart and supports the common
InDesign print/export conventions. For alternate layouts, type the layout name followed by a colon, and then the page number(s), e.g., “iPad V:1”. If using section numbering, type the section prefix in front of the number(s), e.g., “a1”. You can also type a plus sign (+) followed by the absolute page number. This is useful when your document doesn’t start with page 1. In addition to these conventions, you can also type “last” or “end” to represent the last page in the document, e.g., “+2-end”.
Shady Characters
Version 1.5 also adds support for Text Shadows, as well as Drop Shadows and Inner Shadows on text frames rendered as HTML.
Demo Functionality
A big issue with the trial installation was that in5 previously disabled HTML text rendering until a serial number was entered. We’ve now added the ability the to export 2 pages with text rendering as HTML or SVG in demo mode, so that you can easily find out if the text rendering will work for you before you decide to purchase a license. Give it a test drive.
Smaller Stuff
And here’s some more updates in version 1.5:
- Added the ability to hit the Enter key after launching to immediately run in5 using the settings present in the in5 dialog.
- Moved Slider initialization from document.ready to window.load to fix incorrect Slider dimensions.
- Added support for Type > Insert White Space > Nonbreaking Space when text is rendered as HTML.
- Fixed issue with arrow navigation displayed on HPUB thumbnail page.
- Fixed multi-state Button positioning within Liquid Layout.
- Improved the video initialization so that it now works in the Slider Page Formats on the iPad.
And a few interesting things included in the updates before version 1.5 that you might have missed:
- Multiple items now supported in Scrolling Frame Overlays.
- Support for No break.
Creative Cloud (CC) Compatiblity
We’re working on a CC-compatible version of in5. We hoped to have it ready for this release, but there’s still some work to be done. When the CC installer is added, the download will be a ZIP file, instead of an MXP. Inside that package, there will be the same old in5.mxp installer for InDesign CS4 through CS6, and a new in5_cc.zxp installer for InDesign CC. We’ll have that ready as soon as possible.
in5 Reviewed in InDesign Magazine
Keith Gilbert reviewed on in5 in the June/July issue 2013 of InDesign Magazine. Keith provided comprehensive coverage of in5’s strengths and limitations…at the time…and then version 1.5 addressed some of Keith’s feature requests. 😉
Then in Keith reviewed in5 again in 2018. You can download a copy of that full review.
Download the latest version of in5 and give it a try.
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This is the most impressive update to date. And it’s amazing to read the features as I in realtime update to CC
When is Adobe going to acquire you and make these features standard!?
Nice release. Full of potentials. But am not happy with the implementation of the custom menu. Most people appreciating in5 is because of the ‘no coding required’ idea. Having me to request for some codes from a developer is just a no-no. It will be nice if can design this stuff within indesign instead of writing codes. It just defeats the purpose. I think in5 is beginning to lose focus and looking for some quick way of adding features instead of staying true to the original idea. No coding!
Hi, Chuck and Doug thanks for your comments!
Bosun, no coding is required to use in5. We’ve merely added the capability to extend in5 with coding. Our focus is still on adding features for designers.
Hi Justin, I’m referring to the ‘custom menu’ video. It is pure coding to be able to achieve that menu. Can’t we just design the navigation with the bookmarks and achieve all that effects without coding. Must we write jquery and do css and all that stuff. It just doesn’t look right to me.
Bosun,
We are still looking at adding a “built-in” menu option. This video is a demo. That being said, resources can also be shared and re-used, so you don’t have to write code to take advantage of this. In fact, our hope is that users will share snippets on the Answer Exchange.
The Resources section allows us as a company (as well as individual users) to push customizations faster than we can possibly add features to the tool, but we’ll also continue to add updates. I don’t think there’s a downside. But I think you’re concerned about us ceasing to update designer features because we’ve added extensibility. As I said in my previous comment: our focus is still on adding features for designers. Now designers have an easy way to work with developers.
Great job Ajar Productions! Thank you for creating such a wonderful and affordable publishing solution!
Luisa
Agree with you Justin on extensibility and designer/developer collaboration. Which again is a welcome addition for in5. Indesign is predominantly a designers tool and most designers will share my point on that, we like creating immerse experiences not re-using stuffs. In5 is getting powerful and I like that, but I prefer those features that will make us create beautiful and immerse publications like we do in print. 99.9% design. 0.1% coding (youtube, twitter widget, Adobe Business catalyst modules and web app integration, (Don’t be surprise Justin, in5 works beautifully with BC modules) is welcomed). Great job. Please don’t forget image background (Tiled, Browser-filled, Horizontal Mouse-wheel support, etc). Great release so far.
Ajar, You have added new features in the latest version is great! but I am really not happy with Liquid output. I have fixed layout document with many images, text, boxes and links and while exporting it by selecting ‘Liquid’ option, the output is not acceptable. Most of the contents are not on page and some disappeared. I don’t think this issue related to Indesign settings.
Thanks for letting me know, Nand. I’ll be looking through the file you sent.
Nearly a month later, any update on the CC compatibility?
This looks like a great extension but I can’t try it – I’ve only got InDesign CC :(.
Hi Oliver, I feel your pain. I should have more news soon.
Hi! Besides text is it possible to insert SVG objects in in5, like Illustrator illustrations?